I took a deep breath and opened my eyes in time to see Adam and Larissa embracing yet again.
“Jealous?” Ryder whispered in my ear as one of his hands threaded through my hair at the back of my neck and kneaded my scalp soothingly.
“Of them? No, not really. My heart goes out to them. They had love, and had it ripped away from them. I just want a love that’s true and earth shattering. I want that, and I want it for them again, too. I want them to have more than just one night in a cold cemetery,” I said softly.
“You don’t think you will end up loving Adam.” He made it a statement instead of a question.
“I love him already, but not like they had, and I want that soul torturing love. The kind where you’d die for one last kiss, one last touch,” I said letting my eyes drift to the couple. “I thought being a Fairy would suck, but it’s destiny that really sucks.”
He smiled hesitantly and nodded, before he turned his eyes to Ristan who was talking to Alden. I watched Alden hand a piece of paper over to him, and shake his head before his eyes landed on me with remorse in them. He smiled wider, his forehead wrinkling as he did so. Fear ran down my spine along with a slight tremble with what I suspected.
“What did he do?” I demanded, turning to Ryder.
“He gave his soul for you. You have that effect on men.” His golden eyes said more than his lips. “He made a deal with Ristan, which is how he was able to cast the spell and bring Larissa and the other ghosts back to life tonight. He did it for you.”
“Oh, the hell he did! Ristan!” I seethed, turning on the Demon who brokered the deal.
“Flower,” he said genially as he strolled up, as if he hadn’t just agreed to kill the only family I had left.
“Let’s make a deal, Demon. My soul for his; mine is immortal,” I pleaded, narrowing my eyes on Ristan.
“I don’t think so. I like being alive,” Ristan said looking over my head to Ryder, who stood behind me.
“Take mine,” I begged. Ristan’s eyes grew large with the tone of my voice; I meant it, and he knew it. “I don’t need it.”
“Yes, you do. You’re going to be a mother, Synthia.”
“No, I’m going to be a baby factory. Alden hasn’t even loved yet! He doesn’t deserve to die to protect me. Enough people have died trying to protect me already. I won’t allow it to happen again.” I cried, feeling my entire body tremble with the knowledge that he’d done this for me, and now he’d suffer because of it.
“Why would you throw your soul away, Synthia? Alden’s been marked, and, if I own his soul, they can’t touch him,” Ristan said slowly as if I was daft. “The Guild can’t kill him if he’s bound to me.”
“Wait, you made this deal so you could save him?” I asked, unconvinced.
“You knew,” Alden said, finally coming into the conversation.
“I did. I saw you coming before you even decided on it, Warlock. You’re my wedding gift to Syn. She shouldn’t have to go to a new world alone. You are going with her, after you help us with a few more things so we can bring down the Mages.”
I blinked at Ristan. “You got me my uncle as my wedding present?”
“I did,” Ristan said, smiling brightly, proud of his own devious deed. “Although I’m not sure you should thank me yet. If you haven’t noticed— he’s a bit of a pain in the arse.”
I smiled through the tears forming in my eyes, and threw my arms around Ristan’s neck before kissing him soundly on the lips. I wasn’t prepared for his tongue when it pushed through to my own, or Ryder’s snarling growl, which seemed to dispel Ristan’s sudden urge to kiss me. Ryder’s grip around my waist tightened as he pulled me away from Ristan’s reach.
“Ristan, come, we have business to attend to tonight. Syn, Savlian will see you home when you are ready,” Ryder said, shaking his head at Ristan’s sneak attack. “A word before I leave, Syn.”
“Go ahead,” I said, turning to meet his gaze.
“Alone,” he whispered as his lips tugged at the corners.
We walked over to one of the many tombs that stood above ground. I figured we had gone far enough, but he kept going until we’d rounded the corner of a mausoleum, and, before I could even gasp, he had me pressed up against the cold stone wall. His mouth clamped against mine, and he kissed me until my bones felt like they were made of mush.
When he pulled away, I was left panting and wanting more. “If you ever do anything as stupid as you did here tonight, I’ll lock you up, and throw away the fucking key. You’re barely through fucking Transition; they could have gotten a lucky swing in, and you’d be dead right now.”